TEXAS HOLD'EM FOR DUMMIES.

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Everything’s Bigger in Texas: Welcome to Texas Hold’em!
	Chapter 1 A Bird’s-Eye View of Texas Hold’em
		Considering Why You Want to Play
		Working with Game Dynamics
			The importance of position
			Playing move by move
		Moving Up a Notch
			Gleaning your opponents
			Playing the roles
			Figuring in math
		Places You Can Play
			Home games
			Casinos and poker rooms
			Online
	Chapter 2 Ranking and Reading a Hand
		Hand Rankings
			High card only — no pairs
			One pair
			Two pair
			Three-of-a-kind
			Straight
			Flush
			Full house
			Four-of-a-kind
			Straight flush
			Royal flush
		Reading a Hand
			Straightforward hands
			Subtle hands
			Counterfeiting
		Paying a Hand
			The winner
			Tie hands
	Chapter 3 Just Tell Me How to Play: Texas Hold’em Basics
		The Order of Play
		The Dealer Button
		Dealing the Cards
			The hole cards
			The flop
			The turn
			The river
			The showdown
		Posting Blinds
		Betting
			Spread-Limit Hold’em
			Limit Hold’em
			Pot-Limit Hold’em
			No-Limit Hold’em
		The Importance of Your Bankroll
			Recommended bankroll sizes
			Moving up and moving down in limits
		Poker Etiquette
			Handling your cards
			Handling your chips
			Playing in turn
			Tipping the dealer
			Keeping an eye on the game
			Watching your manners
Part 2 Texas Hold’em: Play by Play
	Chapter 4 Beginning with Two
		The Importance of Position
			Early position
			Middle position
			Late position
			The hands you should play, by relative position at a table
		Considering the Players in a Hand
			Keeping track of the number of players
			Watching the types of players
		Hands You Should and Shouldn’t Play
			Probable winners
			Quite possible losers
			Borderline hands
		Using “Fold or Raise” to Make a Call
	Chapter 5 Flopping ’Til You’re Dropping
		Fitting or Folding
			Great flops
			Good flops
			Very borderline flops
			Downright dangerous flops
			Just plain bad flops
		Betting the Flop
			Sizing up the table for a bet
			Making the bet
		Calling a Bet
		Raising the Dough
		Check-Raising
		Getting a Free Card
			The free card setup
			Defending against a free card
	Chapter 6 Taking Your Turn
		Watching a Hand Fill Out
			To check-raise or bet: That is the question
			Made flushes: The notable exception
			Watching for “hidden” improvements
		Keeping Track of the Action
			Determining a hit
			Comprehending the miss
	Chapter 7 Dipping in the River
		Plotting Your Course During Final Betting
			All checking, no dancing
			Walking through the firestorm
			Betting in moderation
			Deciding if you’re being bluffed
		Showing a Hand . . . or Not?
		Watching for Mistakes
Movin’ On to Higher Stakes: Advanced Strategies of Hold’em
	Chapter 8 Playing the Players
		Classifying Players
			Aggressive versus passive players
			Tight as an oyster or loose as a goose?
			Combining your evaluations
		Looking for Tells
			Watching the right place at the right time
			Who’s acting and who isn’t?
			Watching other people’s hands
			Listening to what people say
			Involuntary reactions
			Failing all else . . .
		Zeroing In on Specifics
			Figuring out the table in order
			Looking at individuals
	Chapter 9 Bluffing: When Everything Isn’t What It Appears to Be
		The Basics of Bluffing
			Your turn not to tell
			Don’t bluff people worse than you
			Making your bluff count
		When to Bluff
			Bluffing based on your image of “predictability”
			Looking at your hand from the outside
			Bluffing in the right game
		Who to Bluff
			Preying on weak personalities
			Taking advantage of other situations
		The Semi-Bluff
			When to semi-bluff
			Why semi-bluff?
		You’re Caught — Now What?
	Chapter 10 Maximizing Your Win: Check-Raising and Trapping
		Mastering the Art of Check-Raising
			Bluffing on a check-raise . . .
			Playing a good hand on a check-raise . . .
			Considering a check-raise
			Check-raising round by round
		Trapping through Slow Play
			Timing a slow-play
			Understanding the Theory of Two
			Executing the slow-play
		Maximizing Your Returns
			Deciding when to sit back
			Rafting the river: Check or bet?
	Chapter 11 Camouflaging Your Play and Dodging Traps
		Setting Expectations throughout a Game
			Setting a style
			Changing your style
		Avoiding Pitfalls
			When aggressive players merely call
			Raising and reraising after rounds of checking in Limit
			Judging when you’re dominated
	Chapter 12 Considering Mathematics
		Differentiating Fact from Fiction in Math and Poker
			Knowing that close enough is good enough
			Understanding players is better than understanding numbers
		Taking a Shortcut with Math
			Counting your “outs”
			Calculating your pot odds
			Combining outs and pot odds
			Using quick math tricks
			Considering implied odds
			Flipping a coin
		Using Math to Your Advantage
			Memorizing a little goes a long way
			Calculating deeper
	Chapter 13 Advancing Your Knowledge
		Playing with Game Theory
			Grasping the meaning of game theory
			Understanding how to use it
		Cashing In on Equity Theory
			Cross-breeding the animal of psychology with the beast of mathematics
			Going back to square one
Part 4 Casinos, Card Rooms, and the Internet: Places to Play Hold’em
	Chapter 14 There’s No Place Like Home: Playing in Private Games
		Determining the Level and Type of Play
			Identifying stakes and games
			Playing with friends
			Meeting strangers
		What You Should Give
			Skimming the pot
			Bringing on the refreshments
		What You Can Get
			Enjoying the situation
			Watching the action
			Looking for the unusual
	Chapter 15 Opting for the Internet: Online Games
		Choosing a Site
			Narrowing down your options
			Transferring money
			Exploring the bonuses
		Watching Your Back
			Being wary of the robot revolution
			Spotting collusion
	Chapter 16 Harrah’s, Here I Come: Playing in Card Rooms
		Playing in a Professional Card Room
			Introducing the staff
			Getting started
			Exploring your possibilities
		Avoiding Common Mistakes
			Betting properly
			Playing in turn
			Raising properly
			Minding your own money
			Playing only your hand
		Trying to Score a Jackpot
			High-hand jackpots
			Specific-hand jackpots
			Bad-beat jackpots
			Qualifying for jackpots
	Chapter 17 Competing in Tournaments
		Coming to Grips with the Differences
			Tourney basics
			Rebuying and adding on
			Prize structures
		Understanding Your Chip Position
			Your position at your table
			Your position in the tourney as a whole
		Playing Your Way Through
			Shifting tables
			Maneuvering relative to the herd
			Seating adjustments
			Bursting the bubble
		Adjusting Your Play for Prizes
			Keeping your eyes on the prize
			Splitting the prize money
Part 5 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 18 Ten Differences between Online and Real-World Play
		Not Telling in Live Action
		Adjusting to the Speed
		Understanding Position
		Taking Up Space
		Getting at Your Cash
		Becoming “Serious” in the Real World
		Adding Up Online Mathematics
		Tipping the Dealer
		Changing Your Venue
		Keeping Track of Your Online Cash
	Chapter 19 (Almost) Ten Common Mistakes
		Playing Too Many Starting Hands
		Playing Tired
		Playing Too Low or Too High a Limit
		Coin-Flipping Too Often in Tournaments
		Ignoring What You Know about Players at Your Table
		Becoming Impatient
		Staying Too Long in a Tough Game
		Letting Your Emotions Get the Best of You
		Treating Your Internet Money Like It’s Fake
	Chapter 20 Ten Ways to Improve Your Home Game
		Upgrading Your Deck
		Chipping Up
		Chowing Down
		Lighting Up
		Venting It All
		Trashing the Place
		Wiping Out the Badness
		Standardizing Chairs
		Getting Tabled
		Renting Your Game
	Chapter 21 Ten Bad Beats
		Red versus Spudnut
		Woman Beaten by Madness
		Hellmuth Yanks His Hair Out
		Nuts about Flushes
		Moneymaker
		Moneymaker, Part Deux
		When Wheels Go Flat
		No-Limit Means No-Money
		Mr. Aggressive versus Johnny Conservative
		Not All Beats Are Bad
	Chapter 22 Ten Things You Can Do to Improve Your Hold’em Game
		Studying Your Way Up
		Showing Off Your Game
		Keeping Track of Your Bankroll
		Exercising
		Digging into the Math
		Reading Poker Websites
		Scoring a Free Magazine
		Throwing in the Towel
		Meditating
		Playing Other Games
Glossary
Index
EULA